I used to be terrified of IP, but when push came to shove and the only other option (or so I thought)was suicide, I went in and found it wasn't at all scary. In fact, I felt safe and cared for in there. I stayed a week, got a few meds changed up and got some good stuff out of groups. And there is something to be said for being in a safe place with other mentally ill people. There's no judgment. I made several friends on the inside and we're still in contact today.